Tuning In (1 lesson)

• ‘Chatterbox’ activity (Assessment for learning) - Students engage in a ‘Chatterbox’ activity in pairs. The ‘chatterboxes’ can be made as part of an Origami activity prior to this lesson. Under each flap of the chatterbox is a question designed to find out students’ knowledge and thoughts about culture, the role of clothing in culture, traditional Japanese clothing and the similarities and differences between clothes worn in Japan and Australia. Students use the ‘chatterboxes’ to conduct an ‘interview’ with their partner and then reverse the role. Students’ answers from their interviews are then bundled as a whole-class and displayed in the classroom (Murdoch, 1998, pg 17).     

Finding Out (2 lessons)

• Watch short video - Whole class watches a short YouTube video about putting on a Yukata/Kimono. This introduces students to the various garments that are worn with the Kimono (these are also introduced in the following Learning Object activity) and demonstrates how important the Kimono is in Japanese culture, as even putting the Kimono on is considered an art. http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZtGi21ysM&NR=1

• Learning Object: ‘Dressing up (Japanese)’ – on Interactive White board. Students are introduced to new lexis for items of clothing as teacher goes through Learning Object on the Interactive White Board. Students take turns to interact and select the correct item of clothing that the teacher has called out in Japanese. Students discover clothing worn in Japan for different occasions, including school, skiing, and going to traditional festivals. Students discover some similarities and differences between clothing worn in Japan and Australia. Students are also introduced to sentence types: これは～です。～をきます。

• Introduction to history of Kimono - Students form ‘Home groups’, where each group member is required to focus on a different period of the Kimono's history. These group members form ‘expert groups’ with other students who share the same focus for investigation. The teacher provides these expert groups with information and pictures from a part of the Kimono's history (e.g. the Edo period, or Joman period) and students discuss what the Kimono was like and how that period influenced the style/design of the Kimono. Students then return to their home groups to ‘teach’ the other members the information they have gathered in their expert groups (Murdoch, 1998, pg 17).    

Sorting Out (2 lessons)

• Venn diagram (Logical/mathematical and visual/spatial intelligences): Bundling of similarities and differences - Students use the information that they have gathered in the 'Finding Out' lessons to brainstorm similarities and differences between clothes worn in Australia and Japan. These similarities and differences are then placed into a Venn diagram as a whole-class activity and this is displayed in the classroom.  

• Visual Art (Visual/spatial and interpersonal intelligences) - Students work in pairs to design their own Kimono. The outline for their Kimono is drawn with inspiration from part of the Kimono's history (e.g. similar style to the Edo period). The fabric for their Kimono includes pictures and words that represent similarities and differences between clothes worn in Australia and Japan (e.g. An Akubra hat, representing Australian culture, a Happi top representing Japanese culture, and casual clothes representing one similarity between the two cultures). Once completed, students give their Kimono designs to the teacher to be scanned onto the computer.

Going Further  (2 lessons)

• Does Australia have any 'traditional' clothing? - Students look further into the part clothing plays in Australia's culture and investigate this question that has emerged during the unit. Students use magazines and newspapers (supplied by teacher) to cut out pictures of types of clothes worn in Australia (e.g. 'iconic' clothing, and 'every-day' clothing etc.) and add them to the class display. Students discover that Australia is a 'multicultural' society and therefore does not have 'traditional' clothing like in Japan, but instead has 'iconic' clothes that we may consider as traditional clothing (e.g. Akubra hat, Drizabone coat, thongs etc.) 

• Write a script to "sell" your Kimono (Linguistic intelligence) - Students write a script describing the Kimono that they have designed. They include an introduction in Japanese and then describe the similarities and differences between clothes worn in Australia and Japan that they have included on their Kimono design. Students also look further into the period of history that inspired their Kimono design and give a brief explanation of the Kimono in that period. Students finish off their scripts by thanking the Kimono manufacturer in Japanese.

Making Conclusions (1 lesson)

• Bloom's box (Assessment as learning) - The whole class engages in this activity, where Bloom's taxonomy is used as a way of encouraging students to think in different ways about what they have learned during the unit (Murdoch, 1998, pg 98-99). Students take it in turns to roll the dice and provide an answer for the question that is facing up when it lands:

            Knowledge: What is one thing you have learned about clothing's part in culture?

            Comprehension: How is clothing similar or different in Australia and Japan?

            Application: What other similarities and differences between Australian and Japanese culture do you

            know?

            Analysis: What are some of the changes made to the Kimono throughout its history that make it such

            an important part of Japanese culture?

            Synthesis: How can we make sure the Australian culture continues on, just as Japanese people

            continue theirs by wearing the Kimono?

            Evaluation:

• Entry on class blog (Assessment as learning) (Intrapersonal intelligence)- Students take turns to leave an entry on the class blog to reflect on their learning, and compare their ideas about clothing and culture at the beginning of the unit with their thoughts and ideas now. What have I learned? How have my ideas changed from the beginning of this topic?

Taking Action (1 lesson)

• Voice thread (Assessment of learning) - Teacher has already scanned students' Kimono's onto the computer and inserted them into a shared voice thread. Students work with their partner to navigate their way through ed.voicethread.com. Students click on their Kimono design and record their script (using a headset) to "sell" their Kimono to a Japanese Kimono manufacturer.

Reflection (1 lesson)

• Student self-reflection - Students reflect on what they have learned during the unit and consider the 'Positives', 'Minuses', and 'Interesting' points by completing a self-reflection worksheet.

        http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddcwfjmx_36fj5s4gdz&hl=en

 Thinking Tools

¨  KWHL – Prior Knowledge

¨  DeBono’s Hats

þ  Extended Brain Storming

¨  Question Matrix

¨  Thinkers Keys

¨  Graphic Organisers

þ  Bloom’s Taxonomy

¨  Creative Problem Solving

¨  Moral Dilemmas

þ  Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

eLearning

• Creativity and Innovation
  
  Students:
  - apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
  - create original works as a means of personal or group expression.